The media of the entire world has already relegated the Madrid bombings to the inner pages, and most journalists may even have forgotten the deaths of 20,000-50,000 Iranians at Bam a few months ago.
Right now only one thing is in the news: Hamas.
No doubt next week the hacks will have been thrown another bone, which they will happily chew on.
However, I want to look at another side of this week’s events in the Gaza Strip, something the world seems to be ignoring, and something, that in my mind at least, is key to understanding where the next generation of terrorists is coming from, and, possibly, what can be done to stop the trend.
From the second Ahmad Yasin was killed, the Palestinian media, and in particular the highly influential Palestinian Television, has been filled with nothing but pictures of Yasin’s blood, film of funerals, threats of revenge and calls for more martyrs.
Look at this from the Palestinian perspective – a senior religious figure has been killed by the enemy – it is only natural that the people should take to the streets to protest and there be substantial media coverage.
Now let us assume the killing was of a top American personality. What would the TV coverage be like? Scenes of protests? Yes. The funeral? Absolutely. The political debate? Clearly. Calls for a new generation of suicide bombers? Never. Scenes of body parts? No.
And there is the difference that the West always seems to miss. We journalists are guilty of applying our Western terminology to the Middle East and we report the happenings like we would if they took place in Arkansas.
But there is no comparison.
When a 10-year-old child arrives home after a morning at school in Gaza, he sits down in front of the TV at 1:30 p.m. for his lunch. But he does not see Power Rangers on the screen. He sees the Aq’sa Martyrs Brigades marching through Gaza City – their faces masked, as they shout slogans about taking Jerusalem by blood. He sees pictures of rockets being launched at Jewish homes; and rather than viewing Britney Spears strutting her stuff, he sees pop videos depicting mothers encouraging their children to become ‘martyrs’.
It doesn’t matter a jot whether Yasin is alive or dead, whether Arafat or any other figure is in charge of the Palestinian Authority – there will never be a chance for peace as long as the Palestinian media poisons the next generation.
And of course, it is not just popular culture that is guilty. The imams in the mosques bear much of the blame, as do the schools that teach messages of hate and then close early so the kids can join in the violent protests, or smuggle explosives through Israeli checkpoints.
And then there are the parents. Would you let your 10-year- old child attend protests, when you know the enemy could well use rubber bullets against the participants? Would you keep the TV on when the videos encourage your children to become after-school freedom fighters?
Am I being pro-Israeli here? Absolutely not. But I have studied and lived in this region for long enough to recognize the truth most of the West chooses to ignore.